Military Strategy
Valdorus Since the beginning of the Great Steam War, Valdorus has exhibited two very different styles of making war; both influenced by over 100 years of evolution and technological advancements. Before their uplifting into the sky and embracing of technology, the people of Valdorus were considered savages; barbarians raiding the lands around them for resources and people. Given that the lands they settled were less than fertile, it was the only way they knew. Countless times more "civilized" societies attempted to break the back of the savage people, but were beaten back by surprisingly cunning traps and tactics. When the great plumes of pollution began springing up in the sky all around them, the Valdoran people knew that they needed to change. They gave up their ancestral homes for new places, capable of leaving the tainted earth and their savage past behind them. For a great time, the people carried on without so much as a second thought, keeping their lives simple and untainted by the corruption of unneeded technology. Then came the Great Steam War. The island was once again embroiled in war; brothers fighting brothers, neighbors killing neighbors. It was at this point that the break in military tactics formed. One style was developed by the Freemen, the other by the Militia. Trapper Method - Civilian The style the Freemen developed became known as the Trapper Method over the years. Going back to their roots, the Freemen created a doctrine centered around luring enemy forces into positions that gave the (more often than not out gunned) Freemen, the edge they so desperately needed. Such tactics were developed from the need to take away the Militia's overwhelming militaristic superiority, forcing them to resort to troop movements and strikes that left them open to ambush. An example of the Trapper Method working to perfection was evident in the Militia's final great push into Freeman territory. Intercepting all forms of communication made by the Militia, the Freemen fed their units false information with regards to troop and fortification locations. With ambushes and trap laid, the Freemen waited for the unaware Militia forces to blunder blindly into their territory. Even though the Freemen had devolved into nothing but roaming beasts, their teachings remained behind. The civilians of Valdorus use the old teachings of the Freemen with the addition of the current technology. Dealing with the Technologists forced the civilians to create special methods to take the metal soldiers down. Some of the most power strategies that the civilians use revolve around leading the near brain dead behemoths into traps consisting of acid, electric or pit traps. The Sons of Valdorus rely on infiltration tactics, hitting the Technologists where they live. Acts of terrorism are commonplace among the Sons' tactics, hitting the various production facilities and industrial plants the Technologists rely on for resource production and refining. The Strong Arm Doctrine - Technologist With the resources and firepower available to the Militia at the beginning of the Great Steam War, they were able to use strategies that could be used to overpower the weaker Freemen forces. Utilizing the technology created by the Technocrat, Isambard Bronislav, the Militia bolstered their already considerable forces. Mechano-Men functioned as beasts of burden for the Milita; pushing along heavy artillery, building fortifications and handling dangerous munitions. Artillery played a great part in the Militia's doctrine, providing a strong amount of support to their troop movements and assaults. The major weakness of the strategy was it lacked mobility. While the men charged face first into their enemies, sabres and bayonets drawn, if something happened to the artillery behind their lines, nothing would be able to move in to provide support. With the crushing defeat at the battle of the Bio Engineering District, this flaw became evident and the strategy fell from use. With the creation of the Technologist movement and the unstoppable rush in technological advancement that it brought, the tactical minds of the Technologists revisited the Strong Arm Doctrine. Gone was the reliance on heavy, immobile artillery, replaced with the iron fist of the Technologist soldiers. A slow advance replaced the reckless charge into enemy lines, assuring that none would break their lines. With the introduction of flame weaponry that the Technologists soon came to favour, the burning advance became a popular strategy when taking back city blocks from the Freemen. Burn everything in sight with a primary line, clean up the stragglers with a secondary line.